


Why It's Never A Good Idea To Split Up The Party, Even If It's Just For Snacks

by Waddles889



Series: Steve Harrington's Babysitting Extravaganza [2]
Category: Stranger Things (TV 2016)
Genre: Babysitter Steve Harrington, Fluff, Gen, Light Angst, Protective Dustin Henderson, also dont worry hes fine i love him too much, dustin gets beat up but its not very graphic at all
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-12-02
Updated: 2017-12-02
Packaged: 2019-02-09 12:01:01
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,087
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12887436
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Waddles889/pseuds/Waddles889
Summary: When the party decided to split up to get everything they needed for that week’s campaign, they didn’t expect anything bad to happen. They fought government labs and other-dimensional beings, so of course they’d be able to handle going to different areas of town on their own.Once they’d tried it out, Dustin decided that they should never be left as individuals. It’s basic Dungeons and Dragons etiquette: you never split up the party. Ever. It always ends in disaster.





	Why It's Never A Good Idea To Split Up The Party, Even If It's Just For Snacks

**Author's Note:**

> hey look i did it i wrote more! you don't need to read the first work in the series to understand, they're unrelated oneshots. but those who wanted more babysitter steve, here's the one focused on dustin! i'm planning on making one for each kid in the group

When the party decided to split up to get everything they needed for that week’s campaign, they didn’t expect anything bad to happen. They fought government labs and other-dimensional beings, so of course they’d be able to handle going to different areas of town on their own.

Once they’d tried it out, Dustin decided that they should never be left as individuals. It’s basic Dungeons and Dragons etiquette: you  _ never  _ split up the party. Ever. It always ends in disaster.

That’s  _ exactly  _ what happened.

Dustin was heading back to the Wheeler house, grocery bag of snacks in hand. This was going to be  _ such  _ a good session, judging from how the last one ended. He hummed to himself, kicking a pebble and sending it skittering across the road.

He heard the familiar sound of mocking voices somewhere off to his right, but it didn’t seem to be directed at him, so he ignored it. Until he heard a specific name.

“Isn’t that right, Byers?”

Dustin froze and turned towards the commotion. In an alleyway off to the right, he spotted Troy and James, laughing. Laughing at Will Byers. He fumed.

“Hey!” he yelled. Troy trailed off, glancing in his direction. Dustin stormed over to him, glaring. “Leave Will alone.”

James smiled. “Oh, hey Toothless. What are you gonna do, bite me?”

“Or  _ maybe  _ I’ll just punch you and let you see how  _ that  _ feels!”

With all attention on Dustin now, Will was able to slip out. But he wasn’t moving, just looking at Dustin with concern. Dustin balled his fists.  _ Come on, go! _

Troy gave Dustin a small shove. “Don’t kid yourself. Without Wheeler’s  _ freak  _ girlfriend around, there’s nothing you can do!”

Okay, that’s it.

Dustin let out a yell and let his fist connect with Troy’s face. He staggered back, spluttering. James looked at Dustin with surprise.

And hit him in the stomach.

The air was knocked out of his lungs and he stumbled back. He tried to land a hit on James, but by now Troy had recovered and grabbed his arm from behind. James punched him squarely in the nose, causing blood to gush out almost immediately. Will gasped.

“Let go of him!” Will yelled. Dustin kicked out at James, hitting his shin with a smack. Troy shoved Dustin forward and he tripped into the wall. “Let go!”

Dustin’s vision titled. He leaned heavily against the brick wall, gently touching his nose. As soon as his fingers brushed it, it flared with pain and he gasped.

One of them pulled on Dustin’s curly hair, snapping his head back. He let out a cry and fell hard on the ground. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Will sprinting out of the alley. Man, Dustin hoped he was getting help.

This thought also seemed to occur to Troy and James. They exchanged a glance, looked at Dustin, and ran the other way. Dustin sighed and closed his eyes, sucking in uneven breaths. Blood from his nose dripped down his face, tainting his lips with a coppery taste. Another breath. Don’t fall asleep.

He opened his eyes. Breathe. Slowly, gingerly, he forced himself to sit up. The moment his head left the ground, his vision began to swim and he paused, blinking until the world steadied. Breathe. Dustin stared at the floor, focusing on not throwing up.

He wasn’t sure how much time had passed, but he heard shouting eventually.

“Dustin!”

Dustin moaned in response.

“He’s over here!”

Footsteps grew louder, presumably coming to get him. He blinked, turning his head and immediately regretting it from the wave of nausea it caused.

Two people entered the alley. Will and… was that Steve?

“Oh my word, what did you dipshits  _ do?”  _ Yep, definitely Steve.

The older boy crouched down by Dustin, looking over his face. He touched Dustin’s face gingerly. His nose flared with pain and he whined. Steve pulled his hand back immediately, wincing. Will bounced up and down anxiously.

Steve frowned. “Okay, alright, um… let’s check for a concussion. Follow my finger.” Dustin followed Steve’s finger with his eyes, knitting his eyebrows together. Steve took this as a good sign, and inspected the rest of Dustin’s injuries.

He poked Dustin’s nose again. Dustin smacked his hand away, inhaling sharply. 

“I… I think your nose  _ might  _ be broken, but I’m not sure. We’ll have to take you to the hospital.”

Dustin shook his head immediately, regretting it as his stomach lurched.

Steve frowned. “Alright, okay, okay, alright um… We could… we could…” he trailed off, glancing up at Will.

“Maybe Hopper could…?” Will suggested. Steve nodded and looked over towards his car, judging the distance from where they were to the vehicle. He chewed his lip.

“Alright, okay. Okay.” Steve slipped his arms underneath Dustin’s and hauled him to his feet. Dustin blinked, stumbling forward. “Woah! Woah, hang on there buddy, I’ve got you. Let’s get to my car, okay? Walk with me. Left, now right. You got it.”

They reached the car and Will quickly scurried over to open the back door. Steve helped Dustin inside. “I’m gonna call Hopper. Will, you stay here with Dustin.”

“Okay,” Dustin whispered. Will slid into the car next to him. 

“Thanks,” Will said, “for being there.”

Dustin smiled, despite the burning pain. “You think I’m gonna- ah, fuck- you think I’m gonna let  _ Troy  _ pick on my f-friend? No, sir.”

A grin spread across Will’s face. 

Soon, Steve returned. “He said to meet us at the station. They have first aid stuff there.”

Within a matter of minutes, Steve’s car pulled into the parking lot. Dustin walked on his own this time, occasionally leaning on Steve or Will.

“Man, it’s great that you take after me, but I wish you wouldn’t take after the getting beaten up thing,” Steve muttered and pushed open the door to the police station. Hopper was waiting anxiously inside.

Dustin was immediately treated for his broken nose and checked for other injuries. Once it was determined he was concussion free, they gave him an ice pack and went to call his mother. Dustin frowned.

“Aw man,” he said sadly.

“What’s wrong?” Will asked, sitting down next to him.

“I hope we didn’t screw up the plan for Dungeons and Dragons this week.”

Steve let out a noise of disbelief. “You got  _ beat up,  _ and you’re concerned about your stupid  _ roleplaying game?” _

Dustin grinned.

Steve rubbed his forehead with an exasperated sigh. This kid was going to be the death of him.

**Author's Note:**

> please comment i crave that sweet sweet validation!


End file.
